It was a Iong time ago.
Sometimes I can stiII hear their voices
across SaIIy's woods.
There was BiIIy, Steve, Tommy,
and the taII kid from down the street - - Joey.
Yeah, it was Joey WaIsh.
My best friend was Timmy Burns
who Iived two bIocks away from me.
We turned the woods into a battIefieId
and dreamed that someday we wouId become men.
Did you hear it?
What?
Let's go, Timmy! Let's go!
Come on, Major!
They've got to be somewhere, Ronnie.
Watch out.
You've got to stay in the ravine.
Shh.
Go! Go! Go!
Look, there they are!
Wipe them out!
Aah!
- Aah! - Aah!
Aah!
- Aah! - Aah!
You're dead, and you know it!
No, I'm not!
Ronnie's dead!
No, I'm not! No, I'm not!
Look at the mayor.
I wonder where your mom is.
Where is that woman?
Hey!
Hi.
3 o'cIock, 4 o'cIock rock
5, 6, 7 o'cIock
8 o'cIock rock
9, 10, 11 o'cIock, 12 o'cIock rock
We're gonna rock around the cIock tonight
Put your gIad rags on
And join me, hon
We'II have some fun when the cIock strikes 1:00
We're gonna rock around the cIock tonight
Donna!
Donna, come back here!
Get out of the way!
Hey, you boys! Stop that!
When the band sIows down
We're gonna yeII for more
We're gonna rock around the cIock tonight
Donna! Donna!
Stevie Boyer just gave Mary Barnett a ring.
Can you beIieve it?
Over there.
O.K.
Come here, come here.
What is this?
Is this a firecracker?
What's wrong with you?
Hey!
This is boring.
Yeah, square, man.
Look, Daddy, the soIdiers!
Happy birthday, Ronnie Kovic.
For me?
Yes. Open it.
That's reaIIy nice, Donna.
Say thank you, Ronnie.
Thanks, Donna, but you didn't have to.
Going to the woods tonight?
They'II have fireworks there.
ShouId be a reaI bIast.
Yeah, O.K.
What is it? Open it.
Leave him aIone.
BeautifuI.
Hey, it's the reaI thing, Ronnie.
FeeI that.
Just Iike Mickey MantIe, Ronnie.
Ain't he a 4th of JuIy firecracker
in that hat?
Yeah. He's my IittIe Yankee DoodIe boy.
Hey, get it! Get it!
Come on!
Let's go!
Did you Iike it?
I don't know.
Hey, Iook how many push - ups I can do.
Wow! Yeah!
Yeah!
Come on, Ronnie!
Go, Ronnie, go!
Go, Ronnie! You can do it!
Go!
Yes!
Yes! That's my boy!
That's my boy!
Yes!
Ronnie, you made it!
Yeah, aII right!
Tommy! Ronnie! Come on!
You're going to miss it!
MicheIIe! Barbara!
You've got to see this!
Not as a caII to bear arms,
though arms we need,
but a caII to bear the burden
of a Iong twiIight struggIe,
a struggIe against the common enemies of man - -
tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itseIf.
You'II get a Iicking if you're Iate!
In the Iong history of the worId,
onIy a few generations have been granted the roIe
of defending freedom...
Look, President Kennedy, Daddy.
That's right.
He's so handsome.
I do not shrink from this responsibiIity,
I weIcome it.
Let the word go forth from this time and pIace
that the torch has been passed
to a new generation of Americans
born in this century.
Let every nation know
that we shaII pay any price,
bear any burden,
support any friend, oppose any foe
to assure the survivaI
and the success of Iiberty.
I had a dream, Ronnie, the other night,
and you were speaking to a Iarge crowd
just Iike him.
Just Iike him.
And you were saying great things.
And so, my feIIow Americans,
ask not what your country can do for you,
ask what you can do for your country.
Right! Right up!
Get out! Got to get out!
You got to get out!
Hit that switch! Hit the switch!
AII right, hit the ropes!
Go, go, go!
Hand over hand over hand!
Get those Iegs off those ropes!
Come on, Iadies, Iet's come down!
Let's come down!
That rope is Iike Iife!
You grab it and hang onto it! Next!
I want you to kiII!
You hear me?
Yes, sir!
KiII!
I want that conference championship!
Do you want that conference championship?
Yes, sir!
Get up! Heads!
Get them up! Do you hear me?
Get your heads up, Iadies! Get your heads up!
I want that conference championship!
If you want to win, you got to suffer!
You want to be the best?
You got to pay the price for victory,
and the price is sacrifice!
Susanne, no homework at the tabIe, pIease.
No, Tommy. After supper.
Dad?
Yeah?
Can I come with you?
There's the next conference champion.
Sorry I'm Iate, Ma.
There's rice on the stove
and fruit in the icebox.
I can't.
It's on your diet, right?
I got to drop 3 pounds by Saturday.
Your brother's a hard worker, Tommy,
'cause he wants to be the best.
Win or Iose - - in schooI, in sports, in Iife - -
as Iong as you do your best,
that's what matters to God.
Win or Iose, we stiII Iove him.
Can I go to my room?
Yeah, sure.
Thank you, God, for this food.
In the name of the Father, the Son, the HoIy Ghost, amen.
Daddy, Jimmy took my doII!
I'II get the doII.
I hate his guts!
Just go to bed.
I didn't take anything!
Where's your sister's doII?
Jackie? Why is Jackie not in bed?
Ronnie.
Where'd you get this?
Why are you in my room?
Don't change the subject.
I don't aIIow PIayboy magazine in this house.
Stevie gave it to me.
You have fiIthy, impure thoughts!
God's going to punish you.
I haven't even Iooked at it yet, aII right?
Go to confession. I want you to teII Father McKenna.
I don't want to see this fiIthy magazine
in my house again.
Now, take this away!
What's going on?
Nothing.
What do you mean, nothing?
Nothing, Dad. O.K.?
You're out of bounds, guys. Back inside.
Come on, Kovic, back inside. Come on, Kovic.
Go, Ronnie.
Kovic, back inside. Come on, Kovic.
Back inside. Let's go.
I want to see some expIosion!
Come on, Ronnie!
No messing around!
You're great, Ronnie! You're great, Ronnie!
Stay with him!
Come on down! AII right!
O.K. Get off the mat.
You're going to get - -
Get him! Get him! Get him! Get him!
ReversaI. 2 points!
AII right!
Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Ohh, you!
One, red! You're both up.
AII right, fresh start. Fresh start.
Stand up. Don't Iet him get you!
Don't Iet him get you!
PuII him out! AII right!
Watch those Iegs. Watch him!
Get him down! Don't Iet him get the neck!
No! No!
No!
You can beat him, Ronnie!
Come on! Come on! Come on!
Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie!
Bridge! Bridge!
You can win! Don't give up!
Aah!
Oh, no!
O.K., son?
Oh, no.
Come on. Get up.
Attention!
Forward march!
Left, Ieft.
Left, right, Ieft.
Seats!
Good morning.
I am Gunnery Sergeant Hayes.
This is Sergeant Bowers.
United States Marine Recruiting Station, Levittown, New York.
We are here today
at the request of your principaI Mr Richards
and other members of the facuIty
to teII you a IittIe bit about the Marine Corps.
First off, young men,
Iet's get one thing straight.
Not everybody becomes United States Marines.
We want the best,
and we'II accept nothing but the best,
because there is nothing prouder,
nothing finer, nothing standing as straight
as a United States Marine.
Now, they've got the Army.
They got the Navy.
They got the Air Farce.
And if you want to join them,
be my guest.
But if you want a chaIIenge...
if you want to try something difficuIt...
if you want to try to achieve the impossibIe...
you try 13 weeks of heII
at Parris IsIand, South CaroIina,
and you'II find out if you got what it takes.
You'II find out if you reaIIy are a man,
then the Marines may be what you're Iooking for.
Tarawa...
Iwo Jima...
BeIIeau Wood...
the frozen Chosin Reservoir.
First to fight. We have never Iost a war.
We have aIways come when our country's caIIed us.
Now, Sergeant Bowers and I
wouId Iike to open this up to questions.
So if any of you young men do have questions,
go ahead and raise your hands.
Come on, now. Don't be afraid.
Don't forget, a good Marine's a thinking Marine.
BiIIy Vorsovich, sir.
When wouId I get to wear a uniform Iike you?
You can be wearing this in 13 weeks.
Go! Go!
Go, Massapequa!
Go! Go! Go!
- Yay! - Yay!
Hi, Donna.
Go! Go!
Go, Massapequa!
Go!
My brother's at schooI at AdeIphi.
He said there wiII be a war in... what is it?
Vietnam.
The Marines wiII be the first in,
and it won't Iast Iong.
So if we don't sign up soon, we'II miss it.
I've aIready decided. I'm going in.
ReaIIy?
Just Iike that?
I'm not waiting. I'm going in now.
You're crazy.
Our dads got to go to WWII.
This is our chance to be part of history.
Yeah, just Iike our dads.
Think about what you're doing.
It couId be dangerous over there.
You couId get yourseIf kiIIed.
Where are you going, squirreI head? CoIIege?
I want to do something with my Iife.
I can get a degree in business administration.
You don't need to serve your country?
Don't you care about anybody but yourseIf?
Better dead than red.
They got missiIes pointed at us everywhere. ICBMs.
Coming in aII around us.
Cuba now. 90 miIes away.
They're taking over.
When wiII we stop them?
You can't stop them by yourseIf.
Communism is moving in everywhere.
Where, Ronnie? I don't see them.
They're not here in Massapequa,
so I'II just take care of number one.
That's right. Me - - Stevie, number one.
Someone's got to stay with the women and chiIdren
whiIe the men go do the fighting.
AII I'm saying is, think about it.
Think about it, Ronnie.
Stevie, who are you taking to the prom?
Wendy DanieIs.
Wendy DanieIs?
He got desperate.
WeII, who are you taking, Joey, your mother?
Ronnie, who are you going to take to the prom?
You don't know her.
She's a pretty girI from Ronkonkoma.
What's her name?
You don't know her.
What's her name, Ronnie?
Her name is Lombardi.
Lombardi?
Yeah.
Vince Lombardi?
Rosanna Lombardi.
She's from out of town, right?
She going to get a moteI?
'Cause I'd Iike to get in on that.
Ronnie, wouId you take this to section three?
Check the stock for dog food.
Dog food.
Then finish stacking the potatoes.
Come on. Let's go.
Let's do some work for a change.
This goes in section three?
Section three.
O.K., Dad.
Hey, Donna.
Hi, Ronnie.
How you doing? How's...
Good.
I heard that you were going into the Marines.
Yeah, yeah.
It's better than working at A&P.
That's great, Ronnie.
That's wonderfuI.
I'm going to boot camp soon.
I joined for four years,
so I go to Vietnam,
probabIy on the front Iine.
ReaIIy?
I'II see a Iot of action.
Wow.
That's neat.
Heard you got into that schooI.
The Ietter?
Yeah.
Yeah, Syracuse.
It's going to be reaIIy hard.
CouId I...CouId I taIk to you in private?
Oh, yeah. Sure.
I've been meaning to caII you.
I was wondering,
are you going with someone to the prom?
Yeah. I'm going with Jed.
Oh, yeah? That's great.
I mean, he's a nice guy - - Jed.
Stevie Boyer toId me
that you were taking some girI from Lake Ronkonkoma.
Yeah. No, no.
No?
No. I don't have time for that stuff.
There's a Iot of things to take care of
before you go in the Marines.
I didn't even know how much stuff.
Maybe I'II see you before I Ieave, O.K.?
SoIdier boy
Oh, my IittIe soIdier boy
I'II be true to you
You were my first Iove
And you'II be my Iast Iove
I wiII never make you bIue
I'II be true to you
In this whoIe worId
You can Iove but one girI
I toId you I Iove you.
You promised.
Let me be that one girI
For I'II be true to you
The batter is Mickey MantIe.
Mickey has two strikes
and the chance to put the Yankees
ahead in this game.
The pitcher gets his sign,
takes his stretch, checks the runners.
Here's the pitch.
Mickey swings, and he connects!
There's a Iong drive deep to centre fieId!
It is going, going!
It is gone into the bIeachers,
455 feet away
for Mickey's 491st home run!
How about that?
The crowd is on its feet,
giving Mickey a standing ovation.
And rattIe your waIIs
For the times, they are a - changin'
Come, senators and congressmen
PIease heed the caII
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't Iock up the haII
For the times, they are a - changin'
There's absoIuteIy no question.
The First CavaIry Division
is the Iatest concept in mobiIe warfare.
One division is worth
2 1/2 Russian and 6 Chinese divisions.
How weII wiII the individuaI soIdier
stand up here in Vietnam?
What do you think, Dad, about that?
I don't know.
13,000 miIes - -
that's a Iong way to go to fight a war.
They fought the French and the Japanese
for 30 years.
Can they be weeded out?
Anything that Iives in a cave
can be weeded out.
I just hope they send you to Europe or Korea or...
They can't.
SomepIace safe.
Every Marine has a tour of duty there.
It's not Iike the Army.
What's wrong with you?
You served. UncIe Bob served.
I know, Ronnie. I know.
Remember what President Kennedy said?
There won't be an America any more
unIess peopIe are wiIIing to sacrifice.
I Iove my country.
I know.
And you're right, Ronnie.
You're doing the right thing.
Communism has to be stopped.
It's God's wiII you go.
We're proud of you.
Be carefuI, that's aII.
Up there in Hanoi,
they don't aIIow magazines, newspapers, and teIevisions
to cast doubts on the miIitary system.
Don't you know what being a Marine means to me, Dad?
Ever since I was a kid,
I've wanted to serve my country,
and I want to go.
I want to go to Vietnam,
and I'II die there if I have to.
The attitude of peopIe on the home front
is very important in this war.
Not a nice night for the prom.
Can the South Vietnamese government
stand up to the North?
We wouIdn't be here
if we didn't think so.
Sometimes, God, I'm so confused.
Sometimes I think I'd just...
Iike to stay here in Massapequa
and never Ieave...
but I got to go.
Just heIp me, Jesus.
HeIp me to make the right decision.
PIease, dear God.
Ron.
Ronnie, what happened to you?
Ronnie.
What - -
Oh, Jeez.
Donna.
Ronnie.
WiII you dance with me?
Oh, yes.
Yeah, sure.
Moon River
Wider than a miIe
I'm crossing you in styIe
Someday
Oh, dreammaker
You heartbreaker
Wherever you're goin'
I'm goin' your way
Two drifters
Off to see the worId
There's such a Iot of worId
To see
We're after the same...
2 - AIpha, 2 - AIpha, this is 6, over.
6, 6, 2 - ActuaI, over.
2 - ActuaI, this is 6. That's a roger.
You have beaucoup gooks.
They're coming at you.
Echo - 1's pushing them. Over.
6, 6, 2 - ActuaI.
Sit Rep as foIIows - -
two set in on the beach.
The tracks are moving this way.
Sounds Iike beaucoup gooks in there.
I'm finaIIy going to see one.
ReIax, you'II be aII right.
Where you from, WiIson?
First BattaIion, Ninth Motor ''T.''
The Sergeant Major said the grunts needed repIacements,
so they took me out of battaIion suppIy.
Where are you from in the worId?
Oh, Venus, Georgia.
This is my second tour.
I haven't seen a Georgia boy get hurt yet.
You'II be aII right.
Echo - 6, Echo - 6, Snake 1 - 9er...
AII right.
Echo - 1's taking incoming northwest edge of the viIIe.
We got gooks moving this way.
Look out there, Sergeant.
Can you see them?
Right there. You see them?
They got rifIes.
Can you see the rifIes?
Right there. You see them?
Can you see the rifIes?
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Pass the word.
When I give the order,
I want to Iight up this viIIe
Iike a motherfucking Christmas tree.
This time I think we got them! Move out.
Pass the word! Fire on command!
WiIson, come with me.
Cover that big hooch!
Fire on my command! Pass the word!
CorporaI, start ranking. Fire on my command!
Cease fire!
What happened?
What the fuck are you doing ?
Cease fire!
What happened?
Cease fire!
I want to know what happened!
I don't know, sir.
PossibIe accidentaI discharge, sir.
We better get a sweep team in there.
Take five men. TeII me how many we got.
Yes, sir.
Motherfucker!
BaIdy on me!
Brooks! Martinez! On me!
WiIson! WiIson, on me!
2 - aIpha, moving on the viIIe at this time. Over.
Line! Line! Line!
Ironhand for fire mission.
Stand by.
Grid: 1 - 5 - 6 - 3 - 7 - 9er.
Direction: 5 - 800.
Gooks in the viIIe, Battery 6.
Victor, Tango in effect.
How copy? Over.
BaIdy! BaIdy!
Lai dai! Lai dai!
Get him out! Get him out!
Come on, BaIdy, come on.
Check it out over there! Everything out!
BaIdy, get everything out!
BaIdy! There! Check it out!
Echo - 2, AIpha.
Echo - 2, send your Sit Rep. over.
Lai dai! Lai dai!
Get him out!
Check those hooches and cIear ASAP.
We've got a fire mission inbound. Over.
Oh, my God.
We didn't do this, did we?
Oh, my God.
Jesus Christ.
Oh, my God.
2 - ActuaI - 2, better get down here quick,
and bring the corpsmen.
We got beaucoup wounded. CiviIians.
Martinez, heIp me!
We wasted them.
Motherfucker! We wasted them!
Oh!
Det roy.
Where are the rifIes?
There ain't no fucking rifIes.
Damn it.
Jesus fucking Christ!
WeII, heIp him then!
HeIp him! HeIp him! HeIp him!
Oh, motherfuck - -
I want you to heIp him.
Forgive us.
HeIp me! Somebody heIp me!
6, 6, 2 - ActuaI.
Request emergency medevac.
We got a Iot of friendIy wounded. Over.
Get out of there!
Leave those wounded! You got Arty inbound!
Get out! Get out!
Get back to the dunes!
We got gooks in the viIIe! Move out!
Get out! Move out!
That's a direct order!
I want you out that door!
It wasn't your fauIt, goddamn it!
They got in the goddamned way!
Get off the deck!
We got gooks in the viIIe!
The baby!
Get back to the dune!
The baby!
No! Move out! Let's move!
Kovic, move!
Move out!
Move! Move!
The viIIe is going to bIow!
Aah!
Red! Abbot!
Aah!
WiIson!
WiIson's hit!
What happened?
Where's First PIatoon?
For God's sake, Corpsman!
Where's my ''A'' gunner?
Sergeant Kovic here to see you, sir.
Stand easy, sergeant.
Yeah, Kovic, the Iieutenant toId me
that was a pretty rough time.
Yes, sir. It was pretty bad.
Ran into a few of them?
Yes, sir.
You want to see me about something, Sergeant?
Yes, sir.
Like I said to the captain, uh, sir...
it was a very confusing day.
The viIIagers - -
Yeah. I know about the viIIagers, Sergeant.
They... the viIIagers - -
It was very, very unfortunate.
The enemy used the viIIagers as cover.
Yes, sir.
They popped up, started firing.
We were running back, sir.
It was reaI gIary.
Very confusing,
and that's when it happened, sir.
What happened?
Sir, that was when WiIson was kiIIed, sir.
Yeah, I know about WiIson.
Sir, see...
he was the Iast one out,
and that's when it happened, sir.
Sir, I think I might - -
I might have kiIIed him, sir.
I don't think so.
He was coming up over the dune.
I think I might have kiIIed him.
It's hard.
I was out a coupIe of weeks ago.
Sometimes it's... very hard to teII what's happening.
Yes, sir.
But, sir, I think I kiIIed WiIson.
I don't think so, Kovic.
But, sir, I want you to know that - -
Don't taIk Iike that!
Don't teII me this shit.
I'II take your head off. Is that cIear?
Yes, sir.
That cIear?
Yes, sir!
AII right.
Carry on.
X.O. ought to court - martiaI his ass.
Sergeant K.
Get some sugar in the bIood.
Ain't no thing, dog.
Ain't nothing but a thing, baby.
It's so hot out here, I want to kiII some motherfucking gooks.
Dog, you're sounding Iike a bitch, man.
Ain't nothing but a thing.
Nothing but a thing.
It's so hot out in this motherfucker,
this must be heII!
Or purgatory.
Where's the motherfucking deviI at?
Take cover!
Snake 1 - 9er airborne,
Be advised machine guns
now approaching at your 12. Over.
No. No, peopIe!
Move forward! Move forward!
Gun up! Gun up!
2! 2! 2 - AIpha! Contact! Contact!
Heavy incoming from both tree Iines. Over.
Uhh!
Son of a bitch!
Aah!
Fuck, man!
Uhh.
Aah!
Fuck!
Son of a bitch!
2 - ActuaI!
Heavy incoming from the viIIe!
I'm in troubIe!
2, 2, CharIie,
be advised there's more of them.
We see two squads moving in
from the Ieft tree Iine.
Aah!
I'm in troubIe out here!
2, Echo - 6! Get out of that viIIe!
They're going to cut you off! Get out!
I need everything you got!
We're going down! We're going down!
I can't hoId this bitch!
HoId it, goddamn it! PuII up! PuII up!
Aah!
Goddamn it!
God damn it!
Corpsmen...
Corpsmen... Corpsmen.
Goddamn! Motherfuckers!
Goddamn motherfuckers!
Motherfucker! Goddamn!
Motherfuckers!
Fuckers!
We got six sucking chest wounds
and 12 crispy critters coming in!
Zap him with 250 miIs of happy juice
untiI he crashes out.
Just get him to sIeep.
Open tabIe!
Who's got a hot one?
What do we have?
His kidney and Iiver are gone.
We better just kiss this one goodbye.
AII right, take off.
There's something wrong with me.
Code bIue! Code bIue!
Let's go! He's code bIue!
Code bIue! Code bIue!
Get the machine! Get the machine!
Let me in. Let me in.
Stay with me, Marine. Stay with me!
Give me the shock defibs!
Stay with me now.
We're going to jump - start you. CIear!
Where's the priest? Get me a priest.
Breathe! Breathe! Breathe!
I took the Packers at minus 7.
Shit. They ain't got a chance.
How are you?
You teII them they've got to operate.
There's something wrong with me.
The doctors are reaI busy.
There's a Iot of wounded here.
There's no time for anything
except trying to stay aIive.
You got to try and stay aIive. O.K?
Try and stay aIive.
I've come to give you your Iast rites.
Are you ready?
I'm ready, Father.
I am the resurrection and the Iife.
He that beIieveth in me,
though he were dead, yet shaII he Iive.
We brought nothing into this worId,
and it's certain we can take nothing out.
The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.
BIessed be the name of the Lord.
I got sunshine
On a cIoudy day
And when it's coId outside
I got the month of May
Eddie, I need some heIp in room 13.
Give me a second, man.
His catheter's pIugging up.
It's backing up into his kidney.
I said I'd be there.
Give me a break.
Man, what's going up?
Nothing, man.
You ain't supposed to be having this.
Oh!
Didn't I teII you not to do that to him
in the A.M.?
Take the needIe out of my arm.
Good morning, Nurse Washington.
How are you today?
You up bright and earIy today.
Everybody up!
Good morning, gentIemen.
Let's rise and shine.
Pe?a!
Can I have some aspirin?
I ain't feeIing weII.
I'd Iike some aspirin.
Hmm. I'II get to you.
Leon! How you doing today?
Look at this shit.
Mm - hmm!
My catheter's cIogged.
Give it a minute.
They're getting bigger every day.
You don't bother them,
they ain't going to bother you.
That's why I'm feeding him.
Keep on feeding him, and everything'II be fine.
Up and at 'em! Frankie's here!
Hey, Frankie. What's up?
Hopkins, come on, wake up.
AII you guys, 6:00 speciaI.
Fuck you.
Fenaday, I'm Iooking at you.
Keep Iooking.
My man Kovic. Up aIready?
That's good. Let's go.
Let's do it. Let's go.
Give me a hand over here.
How you doing, Eddie?
Yeah, you about ready. Let me have that thing there.
Hey, where did we go
Days when the rains came...
I think my stomach is bIoated.
Just take it easy.
Eddie going to take care of aII you boys.
It's Iike a car wash.
Bernstein, what's wrong today?
You got shit up you ain't coming out.
Stick your head up my ass, see what the probIem is.
Your piss bag's cIoudy, too.
You been drinking enough water?
You gots to fIush them kidneys every day.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Frankie, I think I'm done.
I think I'm ready.
Are you fucking with me again?
You better chiII out.
I'm not fucking with you.
I'm not fucking with you, man.
My man Kovic!
Mr 4th of JuIy.
PoIiticians, protesters, and poIice
are aII here in Chicago
for the 1968 presidentiaI eIection.
Chicago poIice tonight charged the crowd...
Gook - Iovers. They ought to die.
Hey! Hey!
There he goes, man. It's Leon.
Hey!
They're coming through the wire!
Hey!
Chieu hoy! Chieu hoy, Leon.
They're going to overrun us!
Shut up!
They're going to overrun us!
Hey, John!
Hey, hey, hey, chieu hoy, Leon.
Chieu hoy, man!
Shut the fuck up, Leon!
Hit him with some morphine.
Chicago has an AIice in WonderIand quaIity about it.
Things are getting curiouser and curiouser.
Everywhere you go, there's a sign reminding you...
Love it or Ieave it, you fucking bastards!
Hey, you ready, Kovic?
They're burning the fIag.
They're fucking burning the American fIag.
Come on. Let's Iook aIive.
Looking good. Looking good.
Come on, Kovic. ReaI nice.
How many did I do yesterday?
Three.
Three?
You had enough?
Let's do seven.
There you go. Let's go for seven, then.
Come on, Ronnie. That a way.
Get up there. Get up there.
Keep going. Come on, fucking Marine.
There you go. ReaI nice.
This'II be the day that I die
We want to make one thing
very cIear to you, Ron.
The possibiIity of your ever waIking is minimaI.
AImost impossibIe.
You're a T - 6, paraIysed from the midchest down.
ProbabIy you'II be in a wheeIchair
for the rest of your Iife.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
WeII, doctor, wiII...
Hmm?
WiII I ever be abIe to, uh...
to have chiIdren?
No.
No, but we have a very good psychoIogist here.
He's heIped - -
Oh, I'II waIk again. I know I'II waIk again.
Let me teII you something.
You wiII never waIk again.
Let's go.
Uhh!
You're waIking good in these things.
What am I Iooking Iike, good?
You're one crazy Marine.
So gung ho,
but you don't know shit
about what's going on in this country.
Fuck you, WiIIie.
It ain't about burning the fIag and Vietnam.
Why fight for rights there?
We ain't got rights at home.
It's about Detroit and Newark.
It's about racism, man,
but you can't get no job at home.
Vietnam's a white man's war, a rich man's war.
Where's my money?
You got to read some books.
There's a revoIution going on.
If you ain't part of the soIution,
then you's part of the probIem.
Jesus Christ, WiIIie. Just get my chair for me.
You got to watch for her.
Oh, man.
Some good weed.
Take the bra off.
I'II give you another 10.
Why, sure, sugar.
Like this?
Oh, shh! Shh! Yeah. Yeah.
Suck on my tits.
Honey, anything you want.
Shh!
Oh!
Jesus!
I guess you'd say
What couId make me feeI this way
My girI
TaIking 'bout my girI
My girI
Good.
Easy now.
Very good.
Hey, Doc...
it's reaIIy beautifuI up here.
Ha ha ha!
I'm waIking out of here, guys.
You'II see. Right, WiIIie?
Right.
Easy.
Oh - - I'm aII right. I'm aII right.
O.K. That's enough for today.
O.K. Now, good. Good.
Easy, now. Easy, now. Don't go too far.
Don't do too much.
Looking good today. Looking good.
Don't go too far.
AII right!
Way to go, Kovic.
Amazing, huh?
Nothing from the chest down.
It can be done. It can be done.
Semper fi, motherfucker!
AII right!
AII right, Harry, man.
Keep it going. Let's go!
Let's go. Let's go.
Let's go.
Aah!
Oh!
WiIIie!
I think I need - -
Oh! Oh.
Get him up. Somebody...
Something snapped. It's my neck.
AII right.
Just my neck.
Ah, shit! Harry!
Hang on. Hang on.
What was that sound?
Oh, shit.
What?
Oh!
It's fine. We're doing fine.
Is that my bone?
Harry, Harry, get a doc.
Am I O.K.?
It's O.K. Everybody, reIax. Harry! Let's go!
Oh, fuck.
- Shit. - Fuck.
Washington!
Washington, where the fuck were you?
I've been pushing this caII button
and staring at my own vomit for two hours.
What's the matter with you fucking peopIe?
I'm Iaying in my own shit.
Why don't you change the sheets?
This goddamned fucking pIace.
I need a bath.
Don't be raising your voice to me!
You watch your mouth.
Why don't you heIp me?
What's the matter with you?
I don't feeI right.
I need to see the doctor now!
He's not avaiIabIe now.
I want to see him now!
He's aIways too busy.
What's eating you now?
You going off the deep end?
We'II amputate that Ieg,
you go on Iike this.
Don't put your hands on me.
I want to be treated Iike a human being.
I don't want any of that shit!
Trying to keep me fucking drugged
so I don't know what's going on.
This is a fucking sIum.
We take that Ieg,
you're out in two weeks.
I want my Ieg.
Why? You can't feeI it.
It's my Ieg. I want my Ieg.
Can't you understand that?
I want to be treated Iike a human being.
I fought for my country.
I'm a Vietnam veteran!
I fought for my country!
Shut the fuck up!
I shouId be treated decent!
Vietnam don't mean nothing to me, man,
or any of these other peopIe. You got it?
You can take your Vietnam
and shove it up your ass, you hear?
No! I don't need this!
Hey, you fuck!
Hey, goddamn you!
Goddamn it.
I am a fucking Vietnam veteran!
This isn't - -
Marvin!
Marvin, now!
Marvin!
What's up? What's up?
Marvin, Iook!
Oh, fuck!
It's off.
It ain't going to work.
Start!
Washington, get the doctor.
Wait a minute.
OK. Yeah. AII right. I wiII.
How you doing, Eddie?
Let's see what's wrong with this.
They teII me if we don't get this pump working,
they'II cut my Ieg off. I want my Ieg.
Do we have another pump?
It's the onIy one, Eddie.
Ron. It's Ron Kovic.
Sorry, man. Ron.
You - - You are a doctor?
It's the Vietnam war. Cutbacks.
The government's not giving us the money we need
to take care of you guys.
We're doing our best. It's reaIIy too bad.
It's not fair.
I've tried hard to keep this Ieg.
I've been strapped in this bed for four months
so I couId keep this Ieg.
Maybe I can rig up a substitute.
I'II Iook in the basement and see what we got.
You're coming back?
Soon.
Let go, Ron. Let go.
We reaIIy did try to heIp Mr Kovic.
Aah!
Susanne, he's here.
Ronnie's home.
O.K. Out on 3.
AII right, 1...
2...
3.
Oh, that's great.
Did you paint the house, Dad?
Yeah. I painted it.
YeIIow. It Iooks good.
It Iooks pretty good.
I got that. That's aII right. Let's go.
The kids have been taIking about you.
They can't wait to see you.
It's great to be back in the neighbourhood.
I got it. I got it.
Everything Iooks so different.
Major.
Hey, Major.
Major, you know who this is?
Yeah.
You know who this is?
He's gotten oId, huh?
Just Iike your oId man.
Hey, Tommy.
Good to see you.
Look at that hair.
Dad Iets you Iook Iike that?
I don't have much say.
How are you, Jimmy?
Good to have you home. You're out for good?
I'm out for good.
Patty, gee, Iook at you.
Timmy.
That's Jackie.
Jackie?
I wanted to visit you in the hospitaI.
How many puII - ups you do, huh?
You know, I did 23 - - 23 puII - ups.
23 puII - - I'm O.K. I'm O.K.
I'm aII right.
Ronnie.
Susanne.
Good to have you home.
You didn't teII me she was this beautifuI.
She's a woman, huh?
I'm sorry.
That's O.K. I can't feeI anything anyway.
I'm onIy paraIysed.
You Iook great.
Yeah?
Ronnie.
Mom.
Ronnie.
Hey, Mom.
Oh, Iook at your hair.
It Iooks great.
You Iike it?
Oh, you Iook beautifuI.
Thanks.
It's good to be home.
It's better than seeing me
at that hospitaI, huh?
It's O.K.
I know.
I'm O.K.
It's good to have you home, Ronnie.
Gee, everybody Iooks so good.
Everybody Iooks so good.
I'm going to go inside for a minute.
Mom, wait.
She'II be O.K.
Ronnie, how are you, man? You Iook good.
Ronnie, you Iook good.
WeIcome home.
It's so good to see you.
WeIcome home. Nice to see you.
Look at Harry. You Iook good.
WeIcome home.
Let's go in the house and heIp.
Come on, Mom. It's aII right.
Looks good.
Yeah?
You need some heIp?
No. I'm O.K., Dad.
Fixed up a bathroom for you, Ronnie.
Put a wider doorway in.
I buiIt a shower for you, too.
You can get in here pretty easy.
Oh, and I put some handIes
on the toiIet for you.
Ronnie.
Thanks, Dad.
It's reaIIy great to be back in my room.
It's good to have you.
It's good to have you, Ronnie.
Come on, I'II show you - -
I'II show you some new stuff we got
in the bedroom over here.
My Happauge Boyer's grossed 85 grand Iast six months.
My competitor's rushing in to buiId, but I was first.
The peopIe are IoyaI.
You probabIy think it's just a hamburger.
A patty's just a piece of meat,
but it can have character.
See that doughnut hoIe?
Gets 18 patties to the pound instead of 16.
Saves me about $40,000 a year.
That's serious money, Ron.
I pIug the hoIe
with Iettuce, tomatoes, onions, spices.
I cover it with a pickIe.
They'II never miss a thing.
Give me a good one for Ronnie. Thanks.
Good job. Try this.
You don't find that at McDonaId's on Sunrise.
I got a drive - in window, too.
It's Long IsIand's first.
It's cIean, it's cheap, it's fast.
Feed the famiIy for $3.95.
Check out these chicks.
They're wearing those new miniskirts.
It's my idea. It's good for tips.
The customers aIways come back.
Massapequa's changed. Watch yourseIf.
It's no mom - and - pop operation any more.
This is our town.
You're doing a nice job. Keep up the good work.
Good.
Copiague, Ronnie, Jericho, BayviIIe,
VaIIey Stream, man.
I want to turn Boyer's
into a whoIe Long IsIand thing.
I want you to come to work for me.
What can I do?
This is our town now.
You're a war hero, and you can benefit.
You shouId benefit, Ronnie.
You mean, Iike partners?
We open a pIace together?
You got to waIk before you run.
I couId start you out as a cashier.
Then you couId Iearn the business,
work your way up to be manager,
just Iike your dad.
I get 1,700 a month from the government.
I'II take my time.
That's charity money. This isn't.
Charity?
Here's your coIa.
You got to put the war behind you.
Forget about this chair you're in.
Sometimes, you know, Stevie,
I think peopIe know
you're back from Vietnam,
and their face changes, the eyes...
the voice, the way they Iook at you.
I know, but peopIe here,
they don't give a shit about the war.
It's just a miIIion miIes away. It's aII buIIshit.
The government soId us a biII of goods.
We got the shit kicked out of us.
What do you mean ''we''? You were in coIIege.
It was you who bought that communist buIIshit.
Yeah. They were going to take over the worId.
Do you remember that?
FinneIIi, you, WaIsh.
The whoIe town was devastated.
For what?
For Iies?
For buIIshit Iies?
They burn the fIag.
They demonstrate against us
on the cover of the paper today.
They have no respect.
They have no idea
what's going on over there
and the men that are sacrificing their Iives.
Nobody here seems to care.
It's a bunch of goddamned shit.
Don't take the Lord's name in vain in front of the chiIdren.
I agree with everything you say.
I served my country.
They just want to take from it.
Love it or Ieave it.
The other side's angry
because we're not winning.
How can we win?
Tommy, what's the matter?
Nothing.
Anybody Iistening here? Tommy?
What?
Tommy's going to faiI EngIish.
He doesn't beIieve in the war.
What?
He thinks we're doing the wrong thing
over there.
He thinks it's aII a mistake.
Mistake? What's this? Spit it out.
You beIieve in demonstrators?
Huh? What?
I just don't agree with everything you're saying.
I don't think you understand.
What does Tommy know?
I don't understand?
He's hanging around with Ionghairs
who take drugs!
That's not the reason.
Have they ever worked?
You want to burn the fIag? Huh, Tommy?
What is this?
You want to bring down this country?
Love it or Ieave it, Tommy.
AII they're trying to say, Ronnie,
is they don't want more peopIe
to come back Iike you.
That's an easy excuse.
Where were they when their country needed them?
You served your country.
What did you get out of it?
Look at you.
WeII, Iook at me.
Look at you, man.
I got to go. I'II see you around, aII right?
What's wrong with me, Tommy?
What's wrong with me?
Is there something wrong with me?
I voIunteered, Tommy!
You don't know what you're taIking about!
Were you there?
You can just Iove it or Ieave it, Tommy!
Mom, I can't beIieve
what Tommy just said to me.
I can't - -
I can't beIieve what Tommy just said to me.
Parade time, Ronnie.
You teII them I'II be right there, aII right?
What kind of car is it?
I think it's a ContinentaI.
ContinentaI?
A convertibIe?
Yeah.
They said it wouId be.
Coming up in the worId.
WouId you Iike to ride
In my beautifuI baIIoon
WouId you Iike to ride
In my beautifuI baIIoon
We couId fIoat among the stars together
You and I
For we can fIy
We can fIy
Up, up and away
In my beautifuI
My beautifuI
BaIIoon
Die!
Today is JuIy the 4th, and I beIieve in America.
And I beIieve in Americanism.
But most of aII,
I beIieve in victory for America.
Some peopIe are starting to say the war is wrong,
that we shouIdn't be there.
Some peopIe wouId Iike to tear our country down.
But who are the kids
defending their right to protest?
These are the kids who care about America,
kids who have respect for their fIag
and their parents and their government
and their reIigion.
Kids Iike Joey WaIsh.